Rangers in crisis: Sevco given given conditional membership of SFA as stand-off continues

The impasse between the Scottish Football Association and Charles Green’s
Sevco Scotland Ltd remained unbroken on Friday night, with the result that
the entity formerly known as Rangers Football Club plc on the brink of being
granted an unprecedented temporary membership of the organisation.

Old problem: the sticking point appears to be Sevco's refusal to accept any stripping of titles and trophies if Rangers are found to have illegally registered players during the period from 1998-2011Photo: EPA

By Ewing Grahame

9:27PM BST 27 Jul 2012

With Green and his consortium still refusing to accept the conditions attached to the SFA membership they require in order to play, the compromise solution will see talks continue next week.

It will also allow them to register new players on temporary contracts, although any short-term agreement would provide insurance issues for the footballers concerned.

The SFL, SFA and Scottish Premier League statement read: "We are pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached on all outstanding points relating to the transfer of the Scottish FA membership between Rangers FC (In Administration), and Sevco Scotland Ltd, who will be the new owners of The Rangers Football Club.

"Following the completion of all legal documentation, the Scottish Premier League will conduct the formal transfer of the league share between RFC (IA) and Dundee FC on no later than Friday 3rd August 2012.

"At this point, the transfer of Scottish FA membership will be complete."

Consequently, Sevco will be allowed to go ahead with Saturday’s fund-raising match against Cambuslang Rangers at Somervell Park.

That news came as a relief to Second Division Brechin City, whose Ramsdens Cup first round tie at Glebe Park on Sunday will be Rangers newco’s first competitive game.

A cancellation would have left Brechin heavily out of pocket, having sold all 4,200 tickets for the tie (Sevco were still selling briefs at Ibrox yesterday, to season-ticket holders only). Brechin have also printed 3,500 programmes for the match.

Newly-admitted clubs to the Scottish Football League are given 14 days in which to attain membership of the SFA. Failure to achieve that, for whatever reason, would normally result in expulsion from the Scottish game.

The sticking point appears to be Sevco’s refusal to accept any stripping of titles and trophies if Rangers are found to have illegally registered players (a sanction the Scottish Premier League are unwilling to rule out) during the period from 1998-2011.

Should the SPL stick to their guns then the concern is that the temporary membership would be rescinded next week and that Sevco may then instigate legal action, which could postpone the start to the league campaign, due to begin a week on Saturday.

That, in turn, would negate the TV deal the SFL have agreed and have an equally deleterious impact on the SPL’s negotiations with Sky. Then again, as Rod Petrie, the SFA’s second vice-president, pointed out recently, integrity is “beyond purchase”.

Ibrox chief executive Charles Green confirmed he had signed the agreement but vowed to fight any SPL sanctions, which could see Rangers stripped of titles.

Green said in a Rangers statement: "In reaching the agreement, the board has had to take some very difficult decisions to gain SFA membership, including accepting the delayed transfer ban and paying outstanding financial penalties, but we are now able to get back to playing football and plan for the new season.

"The agreement enables the Club to move forward but there remains an outstanding issue with the SPL regarding EBTs.

"As we have proved in the last couple of months, we will stand up to any challenges that face Rangers and will continue to fight for the club's best interests."